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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. stand — to bear
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bore — to drill
  7. rush — hurry
  8. fork — in a road
  9. bore — to tire
  10. pit — in a race
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. wound — an injury
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. pitch — completely
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. wake — a trail

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com